56 User Reviews of Sensation Cruise Ship

This was our first cruise. June 8th 2014 to Bahamas. Chose
Carnival due to dates, price and duration. Noticed on day 2 water
was brownish. Washed my face in the morning and my face broke
out.

Went ashore and enjoyed the day in Freeport. Came back water was
clear. Day 3 noticed maintenance crew working in hallways, toilet
in our room flushed on its own twice, Maintenance guy said it was
because of his work. Water was brownish orange Looked pretty bad.
Later that night when we went back to our room we noticed that the
water was still bad.

We went to guest services where the lady told us it was unsafe
to drink and that our bottled water would be comped. We inquired
about overall health/safety of other passengers and were informed
that any one who had noticed and complained got bottled water free
otherwise nothing. No safety message was ever made/published.
Afraid to shower due to sewer backed up into water. I saved a
sample of the water from the ship and am sending it off to be
tested.

I have never written a review and I use my own judgment when
reading them but this is totally over the top.

On the second day of our cruise my wife bit into a piece of
glass and cut the inside of her mouth while eating breakfast from
the Lido Deck buffet. She was treated at the medical center and a
security report was taken (both are jokes). She cried for two days
and wanted to leave the cruise and come home so she could be close
to her doctor in case anything happened, not knowing if she had
swallowed any glass fragments and what might happen if she had.

The only thing we received from Carnival was a letter slipped
under our door saying if we need anything call guest services. We
decided to ride it out and take our chances. The only information
we received we had to ask for and Carnival does not give up
information easily.

On the last day of our cruise we talked to the food service
manager and was told that after his investigation it was a piece of
plastic from the cups used

on Lido deck and that it did not come from the food prep area. So
has anyone ever broken one of these glasses? I have seen them
cracked and if dropped they bounce but never broken.

That tells me that someone done this to hurt someone, either an
upset employee or a passenger. I want to think that is not the case
but it is 2013 and crazier things have happened. If so putting
objects in food is a criminal act in my mind. I think Carnival
knows more than they are telling. I called Carnival and asked for
some compensation and was told I would not receive any because my
wife was treated at the medical center for free, WHAT.

I think at the least Carnival owes us a FULL REFUND and another
free cruise. You can go to any restaurant in America and if you
find something in your food they will compensate you. Even dog food
companies will recall dog food if they find foreign objects in it.
Carnival has all of these Vacation Guarantees but when something
happens they are not worth the paper they are written on.

We are Platinum cruisers and have been loyal to Carnival
throughout their problems, but this may have been our last cruise
with them. I have not ruled out suing and contacting other
authorities to further investigate. I am contacting any TV,
newspaper, radio, Facebook and Tweeter, anyone that will listen. I
am PISSED and I want some satisfaction. This could have turned out
badly. By the way our cabin steward Jessie was THE BEST EVER.

this is not a really good cruise boat is out dated food is awful
same ole slop day after day service was horrible waiting 30 35 min
for drinks no selection on food pool area way over crowded
elevators are so slow mainly half to take stairs up or down drinks
are so expensive 1.95 for can pop 3.95 for water and 4 beer deals
23.00 crazy people are friendly on there just needs some up keep
good for first timers i guess

The Carnival Sensation, Is without a doubt the worst cruise ship
on the high seas. The food is like something you would throw away.
The service does not have a ratting that can be given. The service
would have to get better to be terrible. Please do not try to find
a restroom, because you will be lost trying to find one,and if you
do ,it wont work.The Casino plan ,Stinks and so does the ship of
what I do not know. Stay away from this ship unless you like
feeling worthless. Disney will make you feel like a King or
Queen,try them you will not regret it.

This hotel is located convient to many Orlando attractions.
Right across the street from Wonderworks and easy walking distance
to shopping and restaurants. The hotel has a small convenience
store with sandwiches and other easy items for lunches. Right
outside there is a nice patio area that is covered for shade and
protection from rain. There is also a lounge and a nice restaurant
within the hotel. There is a pool also for those that wanted to
swim. The day we were there it was too chilly.

The room we had was non smoking and had 2 double beds. There was
also a coffee maker and the usual assortment of sugar and powdered
creamers. There is small refrigerator and a microwave in the
room.

The room was very clean and for me that is the main thing I look
for. I booked the room through Hotels.com for $39.99 In all the
room was a great value and I will consider it in the future.

Parking Parking at Port Canaveral was easy and convenient to the
ships. You just pull into the

luggage unloading aea and leave your luggage with the porters. Then
you drive around and take a parking space. It is an easy walk to
the ship. In our case we had a wheel chair to deliver so when we
dropped off the luggage we also got out of the van there and the
van driver left us to go back to Lakeland. I had already parked my
car and boarded the van to show the driver where to drop the
luggage. We loaded our luggage on to the van and took it all at
once to be dropped off.

Embarkation Very orderly and organised. We were in an area for
wheelchair access to board as we had one person in a wheelchair.
Boarding was announced around 10:30. Early!! The VIP section was
called to board first and they all went ahead on to the ship. Then
we were called and we went through a door to the elevators that
took us up to the entrance. We had our security pictures taken and
were free to go on our away. In all we were aboard before 11:00.
Again, as I punched my card in at security a voice announced that I
have a message at the Customer Service desk. I went and was asked
if there was anything I would need for my c-pap. They also inquired
if I would need refrigeration for insulin as I am diabetic. I
reponded that I was not on insulin and thanked them for their
care.

Carnival Sensation The ship is older, one of Carnival's Fantasy
Class of ships. The decor is reflective of Joe Farcus early designs
for Carnival. Very bright and some would say gaudy. I have not seen
gaudy in any of the ships designs. A bit loud but always fun and in
keeping with this lines themes. Mainly it was purple but it was
tempered with other colors. I found it to be oddly pretty.

Food WOW is all I can say. In every venue this ship was
outstanding. My recent trip on the Liberty found the buffet areas a
bit lacking. This was absolutely not the case on Sensation. Being
an older ship she does not offer all of the venues that the newer,
larger ships offer. I tried the pizza, deli and the main buffet on
a daily basis. All very good.

The Ecstasy dining room was nice and the food was outstanding. I
was a bit disappointed in the service in this area. Several times
we wanted more rolls or refills on water and the wait person was
not available. The staff seemed to be around to take the orders and
then disappear until the meals arrived. After serving then the
staff disappeared again until it was time to serve dessert and
coffee.

We went to the Fantasy dining room several times for lunch or
breakfast. The service in this room seemed to be a lot better.

Service As I said before service could be better in the Ecstasy
dining room. The Fantasy dining room was better. Cabin Steward was
outstanding. Our room was always nice when we arrived ack from our
activities. The ship was clean and kept very nice as always seems
to be the case on Carnival ships.

Entertainment I went to the show the first night and it was
standard welcome aboard entertainment. The CD was Chris, I did not
get his last name. He was funny and entertaining. The old spoon
game was played with 8 people from the audience. I regret that I
did not go to the production show. I did not attend the deck party
but from my companions I hear it was fun.

Freeport My friend Teddy and I went on the Dolphin Encounter
tour. It was fun and we got in the water with the dolphin and posed
while our pictures were taken as Andros "kissed" us on the cheek.
We were taken by bus to where we were put on a boat out to where
the dolphins are. I suggest that if you are not already in your
bathing suit to change here. The facilitie here are clean and
spacious. Once out to the Dolphin area the facilities are not so
comfortable. When we got back I changed to dry clothes. The
pictures that were taken while we were in the water were displayed
here for sale. There was a bar and a nice outdoor area with
pleasant seating. There was a menu available also. All in all it
was a nice tour.

Nassau We did the Jeep tour on Nassau. We were told that tour
would meet us on the pier by the ship. We got off the ship and no
one was there so we walked across to the island. Finding no one
there to meet us we went back across to the ship. The tour arrived
but then found that we had to walk to where the jeeps were kept.
This was nearly a mile away. I do not recommend this tour to anyone
with walking issues. There were only 4 of us on this tour and I was
surprised that it was not cancelled. Since we were just four they
gave us 2 jeeps. We had a guide to drive in each jeep. usually
there are four peope in a jeep and it is a drive ourself tour. We
felt special to have our own chauffers. The tour was long and fun.
I saw a lot of Nassau and really think this island is a great stop.
There is a lot more to this island than the standard tourist
area.

I liked the fact that the ship was overnight in Nassau. It gave
some a chance at more outings than just the daytime tours around
the island. A lot of passengers went to Atlantis for evening
activities. We were asked to be aboard by 4:30 AM for departure at
7:00 AM. Everyone must have been aboard early as we left at 5:30AM
well ahead of the published hour. I was up in the Seaview Bistro
having coffee and was surprised that we were moving out.

The rest of the cruise was a sea day sailing back to Port
Canaveral. The standard shipboard activities. I never did find the
Serenity Area. I did find navigation around this ship to be
confusing and difficult.

Disembarkation The usual confusion arond what to do and where to
go was the scene as we readied for disembarkation. Those that chose
to carry their own luggage were called and took themselves off the
ship. Personally I like to leave the luggage handling to the crew.
We went up to the promenade and sat comfortably and waited. We were
off the ship by 8:30 AM and on our way to Lakeland by 9:00. I was
in my home by 10:30AM

This cruise was a fun getaway and I would reccomend it for those
that like shorter cruises.

This is the 2nd time I have been on this cruise in 7 months.
Overall, the quality went up from "very good" to "very good-plus."
A few kudos: Sensation Band and Dancers -- all first rate. Lido
Deck food and service -- very good, considering the large crowds
they serve. Room service -- very good. Front desk provided a wheel
chair loan at no charge. A few items that need improvement -- drink
prices are very high; they need some 3-for-2 beer specials, etc.
Friends of Dorothy events were listed but non-existent; a more
hospitable entertainment crew is needed to make GLBT guests feel
welcome. How about a "Meet the Show Cast" party? Signage at the
Port Canaveral parking lot is confusing; people who park in the
handicapped parking lot get no assistance with luggage or the long
walk -- I guess the Port assumes everyone drops luggage and frail
people at curbside before proceeding to the parking lot. Overall, I
would consider Carnival again, but I preferred a recent MSC cruise
out of Fort Lauderdale.

We headed out on Friday the 25th, at about 3:00a.m. We got into
Tampa around 5 am saturday morning, and went straight to the beach.
If you are looking for somewhere to stay, Days Inn at Clearwater
Beach is very nice and very very cheap! It is only about 20 miles
from Tampa, and a nice safe area to stay. We finally went to bed at
about 11 and woke up the next morning not so refreshed, but
extremely excited! We then headed for the Cruise port of Tampa! We
arrived at the Terminal at about 12:00 and went through the
embarkation very quickly. We were on the ship and eating before
1:00. After a quick peek at our staterooms, which were a nice size
for three people in each one, we headed straight for the Pizzeria!
Everything on the Lido deck was all set up and there was a huge
buffet! Beleive me, you will never be hungry on the cruise! Dinner
that night was casual. We chose to wear summer dresses everynight,
and two formals for the Captain's dinners.

The waiters, Banpot and Luciano, were absolutely the best!
Luciano,

the main waiter for our table, was very entertaining and showed us
kids some tricks with a napkin. Banpot, the assistant waiter, had
only started work that week! He was still learning, but was such a
fun person and we didn't want to leave him or Luciano. Dinner was
very good, I won't lie, there were a few times that I couldn't find
a thing I liked. But I always made up for it by eating some pizza
or ordering the wonderful room service! The midnight buffets
slightly dissappointed me, but didn't ruin my cruise! No matter
where you cruise, on what ship or line, you will always find little
things that dissapoint you, but nothing can ruin a cruise! Most
everything is absolutely perfect! There was tons of entertainment,
comedians, jugglers, and of course the ever-popular Sensation
dancers with there vegas-style productions. Everyone will enjoy the
new "Hey Mambo" and the other vegas production, which are shown on
the two formal nights. There is no karaoke these two nights, but
there is on the other nights and I encourage everyone to at least
go and participate! It is so much fun! There are also tons of
shows, such as the Mr. and Mrs. show which are not to be missed!
Also, make sure and go to the Audience Participation Bedtime Story.
It is very very funny!!!! Our cruise director, Greg, was
entertaining as well, and everyone tried their hardest to make the
cruise pleasant for all passengers. About getting off at ports: It
is no big deal. There is a long line, but if goes quickly. My
suggestion is to NOT take the ships shore excursions. We went on
our own to Stingray City in Cayman Islands. There will be tour
guides begging you to let them take you on a tour when you arrive.
It is pretty cheap, about $30. Also snorkelling is good at the
Eden's rock which is just a small walk away from the dock. In
Cozumel we just shopped but Chankanaab is also fun, and cheap. Make
sure you know where you are going in New Orleans as it is easy to
get lost, One lady lost her daughter and the cruise left without
her. It was a very bad deal and I am not sure what happened with
that. You will enjoy this cruise! I sure did! Any
questions.....just write! by the way, there are plenty of things
for the kids to do, but the teen activities aren't much fun. Just
meet some friends and you will find plenty to do.

My first cruise was wonderful. The waterslide was too much
fun.My cousin enjoyed sensations hottubs.A matter of fact the only
thing she didn't do was sleep in one.she loved the upper deck
bars.She learned all the bartenders names, while joking with them
back-and-forth.

All the people on sensation were great.I wouldn't trade them in
for any other time and place.Most of all the ship looked beautiful
with its plans and arrangements. the movement and swaying of the
ship when the ocean rough.One special memory, I recall, was a
picture sliding side to side on the wall.

This was my 3rd Carnival Cruise experience and although the
weather did not fully cooperate my overall experience was
terrific.

There's nothing like a cruise, either long or short, to allow
you to relax!

My wife and I took a belated (3-weeks late) wedding anniversary
(#26) getaway cruise over the Memorial Day weekend on the Carnival
Sensation. The cruise was just incredible despite the fact that a
potential tropical storm was forecasted to form in the Florida
Straits. Fortunately T.S. “Ana” did not form however
the weather was far from tranquil. We experienced mostly
cloudy/soggy skies with some very brief pockets of hazy sun, some
drizzle, light-rain, and a couple of down pours along the way.

The first night was pretty rough, as the ship just seemed to
bounce, rock, and otherwise roll towards Nassau. I saw several
"accidents" on the decks throughout the ship and a few clean up
crews in cabins scrubbing carpets clean. There were seasick bags
ready for use layed out in the common restroom areas and a few just
scattered about the ship for handy use. The first night was bad
enough that all of the shows were cancelled

too.

Embarkation at Port Canaveral was filled with speed and
efficiency and we were onboard within 15 minutes from the time we
entered the parking lot.

As for the Sensation, she is incredibly clean and well
maintained. The ship was just recently dry-docked a few months
earlier and the new waterworks area was installed which is a big
hit with the kids (both young in age and at heart).

The food was pretty incredible too. As usual, Lobster was the
popular choice by all on Elegant Night and I was happy to see that
the dress code (no shorts) was enforced. I did notice that on
Elegant Night the style of dress seems to have become more casual,
less suits, some dress shirt and ties, and more open neck polo
style shirts.

Our port-of-call was Nassau, which was pretty, well, um, err --
plain. We took a cab to the overrated Atlantis. I say, "overrated"
as for all they hype I kept hearing about the place I expected so
much more. To me, Atlantis is akin to one of the smaller casino
resorts found in Biloxi, Mississippi. Nevertheless, we made the
best of it and returned to the ship in short order.

We used the "self-assist" debarkation process too and although
crowded, all flowed quickly and politely too.

On a side note, we stayed the night before (pre cruise) at the
Radisson Resort at the Port in Cocoa Beach. They offer a FREE
shuttle ride to and from the port and more importantly FREE PARKING
while you're at sea.

In conclusion, although we only took a short (3-day) cruise on
the sensation, our overall experience was -- wait for it --
SENSATIONAL!!!